The Public Prosecution on Monday announced that the stepmother suspected of murdering her husband and six of his children in the village of Dalija, Dier Mawas District, Minya, has been referred to trial on charges of premeditated murder by poisoning and the attempted murder of the first wife.
The Public Prosecution established evidence against the suspect, based on the investigations and witness statements.
Last week, the Interior Ministry announced that criminal investigations confirmed that the father’s second wife was behind the crime, seeking revenge against the children’s mother after she was returned to her husband for fear of divorce.
During her interrogation, the suspect confessed to the details of her crime and conducted a video simulation of the crime. She reportedly committed the crime to spite the children’s mother (the first wife) after her husband took her back.
The second wife exploited her habit of preparing bread at home and sending it to the children.
She obtained the toxic pesticide chlorfenapyr, mixed it with a piece of bread, and gave it to one of the children in her home. The kid’s health deteriorated, and she became convinced of the poison’s effectiveness.
Four days later, she prepared several loaves of bread, mixed them with the same pesticide, and sent them to the victims. The children’s mother survived because she refused to eat it.
This was confirmed by police investigations, and surveillance cameras captured two children carrying the poisoned bread from the suspect’s house to their residence.
The prosecution’s inspection of the defendant’s residence, accompanied by forensic experts, and laboratory tests of samples revealed traces of the toxic pesticide in bread scraps and cooking utensils.
This was consistent with the autopsy reports, which indicated the cause of death being poisoning which caused the breakdown of the body’s thermoregulation and the failure of vital organs.
